Engineering strategies for the prevention of falls and fall-related injuries

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Falls are the number-one cause of injury in Canada, and exert a particularly heavy toll on the elderly, as the cause of over 90% of hip fractures and wrist fractures. The proposed research program will generate improved techniques for diagnosing risk for falls and fall injuries among the elderly, and novel devices for enhancing balance and reducing risk for injury in the event of a fall. With regard to fall prevention, we will develop new measures that are complex enough to identify the physiological mechanisms that are causing balance impairment, yet simple enough for use in a doctor's office. We will also examine the potential for enhancing postural stability with novel footwear, which provides an enhanced base of support and increased ankle torque during stance. With regard to preventing injuries in the event of a fall, we will develop soft-shell hip protectors that are capable of providing similar or better force attenuation that rigid-shell protectors, which suffer from poor user compliance. We will also design low-stiffness, fall-proof flooring for use in nursing homes and hospitals, which attenuates impact force but is not so soft that it impairs balance and causes falls. Finally, we will develop wearable sensors and microprocessors for detecting slips, trips, and falls in daily life (and the influence on postural stability of exercise programs and environmental modifications), and for measuring impact forces during falls. The proposed research incorporates training of highly qualified personnel, and targeted efforts to disseminate results beyond the biomechanics research community to the health care industry and professionals. This five year program of basic and applied research will provide valuable new tools for preventing injuries and enhancing quality of life in elderly individuals.